Not So Perfect
by crazychick58
Summary: After one mistake-filled night, Tori's world is turned upside down when she discovers that she is pregnant. She'll need her friends now more than ever, but will they be there when it matters? Or will she be left to pick up the pieces on her own?
1. It's Called Morning Sickness

**Hey guys. This is my first try at this whole fanfiction thing, but I hope you like it!**

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**Tori POV**

This is bad. This is so so _so_ bad.

I can't take my eyes off of it. I just keep staring at that little white stick, waiting for that plus sign to magically turn into a minus sign. But it doesn't. But it has to be wrong, right? It's just a false positive. Yeah, that's it. Just a false alarm meant to scare me out of ever having sex again. And oh buddy, did it work.

_You don't really believe it's a false alarm, do you? You haven't had a period in over two months. AND you've been throwing up for weeks for no apparent reason. _

I sigh and rake my hands back through my hair. So maybe it isn't a false positive. Maybe I actually am pregnant. With a baby. In high school.

"_Nooooo_", I groan to myself. This could ruin everything. Every dream that I ever had could be out the window now. Plus, what are my friends going to think of me? And my family? Oh God, my parents! They're going to kill me!

_Calm down. Nobody is going to kill you._

"Well, if _you _say so", I mumble to myself.

_I'm serious. You need to take a deep breath and think about your options before you go spilling this to everybody._

What options? I know darn well that I would never be able to go through with an abortion. Adoption...maybe. But by that point, everyone will already know. What if I have to leave Hollywood Arts? I can't leave! I might not have been there that long, but it already feels like home to me.

_Don't worry, I'm sure your baby daddy will have your back._

That is the last thing that I need to think about right now, thank you!

_Well, you're going to have to think about it sooner or later._

I choose later.

"Tori!" My head snaps up at the sound of my sister's loud voice combined with a rapping on the bathroom door. I panic and stick the test in the front pocket of my jeans. My long, flowing top will easily cover it until I find a place to discard it. The trashcan here is way too risky.

"Tori!", Trina yells again.

"I'm coming!", I shout back as I open the door.

I spend the next few minutes listening to Trina babble on about stuff that is completely and totally unimportant in the car. But I'm too distracted to care about what she's saying. And she takes note of this.

"What's up with you?", she finally asks.

I look at her, and she's looking at me in a way that makes me think she's actually worried about me. "Nothing", I say quietly. "I'm fine."

She sighs but ultimately decides not to press me. Thank goodness. Right now, I don't think it would take much pushing to get me to confess everything. I'm confused and scared out of my freakin' mind.

As I head to my locker, I get hit by the usual wave of nausea. But it isn't as bad as it usually is. So I decide to ignore it and just hope that it goes away. I've had to run off to the bathroom twice already this week. I know people are eventually going to figure out what's going on.

Spotting my friends, I slowly make my way to them. "Hey, guys." And then I get a whiff of Robbie's burrito. I force a smile. "I'll be right back." And then I promptly run off to the bathroom.

* * *

**Jade POV**

"Okay, _something _is up with Tori", Andre says, looking in the direction that Tori ran off in.

Beck nods, removing his arm from my waist. "She hasn't looked like herself lately."

I roll my eyes. I don't know what it is about Vega that makes everyone so freakin' protective of her. She's a big girl. She can take care of herself.

"What if she's sick?", Cat suggests in a worried fashion.

"But this only happens in the mornings", Andre points out. "If she was sick, wouldn't she be sick all the time?"

"This has been going on for longer than an illness would typically last", Robbie comments.

I smirk at the thought that popped into my head. Oh, that would be too rich.

"Isn't it obvious?", I say, looking around at all of them. "She's pregnant."

They all just look at me like I'm crazy. Not smart on their parts. "What she's been having- it's called _morning sickness_", I say slowly to dumb it down for them. "Maybe Vega's not such a good girl after all."

None of them respond, except for the stupid puppet. "Tori? Pregnant? I think somebody's been watching too much TV."

"Tori can't be pregnant", Cat agrees. "She doesn't even have a boyfriend."

I look at the guys, and all of them still look stunned by my suggestion that perfect little Tori Vega could be knocked up. Not that I actually think she is. I was just presented with the perfect opportunity to make her look bad. Of course I took it. I didn't expect everyone to take it so seriously.

"I wasn't being serious", I finally say, crossing my arms. None of them look any more relieved.

"Maybe somebody should go check on her", Robbie says, his glance switching between Cat and me.

"I held her hair back twice already", Cat whines.

Everyone turns to me, and I let out a groan. "Fine. Just this once."

Thankfully, by the time I get to the bathroom, Vega's done puking. She's just staring at her reflection in the mirror like the world has come to an end or something. I got to say- she doesn't work this demeanor anywhere close to as good as I do.

"Everybody thinks you're dying", I say, making my presence known.

She looks at me with a flash of terror in her eyes, before she attempts to compose herself. "Oh. Well...I'm not."

I smile at her discomfort. "I told everyone that I think you're pregnant."

Her jaw drops. "What? How could you do something like that, Jade? I don't understand you. I try to be so nice to you, and you're always treating me like crap! Now you start this rumor to embarrass me in front of the whole school! Why do you always have to hurt somebody?"

I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction. I expected her to be annoyed, sure. Shoot, that's exactly what I was going for. But I didn't expect her to start crying while she blew up at me. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I was too confused to retaliate.

* * *

**Andre POV**

"I wonder what's taking Tori and Jade so long", Cat says worriedly as we all take our seats in Sikowitz's class.

"Yeah, it might not have been the best idea to send Jade in after her", I concede. But hey, it wasn't like me or Beck or Robbie could go in the girls bathroom! Well, I mean I guess we could. We would just get a lot of _really_ strange looks.

Tori finally walks into the room with Jade following behind her. And we all breathe a sigh of relief.

"You okay?", I ask as she sits down.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She smiles, but I can tell she's faking it. I look back at Jade, who's watching Tori like a hawk. Kinda creepy.

"Hello, class." We all look at Sikowitz, who's holding a baby doll in his arms. It's obviously a doll, but he's holding it like you would hold an actual baby. I fight back a laugh, and I can see everybody else trying to do the same.

"Can I play with the doll?", Cat asks, holding her hand up excitedly.

"It's not a doll, Cat. It's a baby. You see, many actors will have to work with dolls as a replacement for a human baby. But they have to treat them as if they're real. Otherwise, the scene won't come across as real. That's what we're going to be doing today."

"You've got to be kidding me", I hear Tori mutter.

"Tori and Andre." We both look up at the sound of our names. "How about you go first?"

I reluctantly stand up, and Tori eventually joins me. "What do we have to do?", I ask.

"You will pretend that this baby-", he motions to the doll. "-is yours. You've just brought it home from the hospital."

I take the brown-haired, blue-eyed doll from him. "Uh, can I get a paternity test first?"

"Is it okay if I sit this one out?", Tori asks. "I'm really not very good with babies."

"But you love babies!", Cat points out, much to Tori's chagrin.

Tori looks at the doll in my arms. Then she covers her mouth with her hand and dashes out of the room.

Sikowitz scratches his head in confusion. "I certainly hope she's okay." Then he moves back to class. "Alright. Jade, you come play the mother. And please try to refrain from breaking the baby."

* * *

**Tori POV**

This has got to be the worst day of my life. I don't want to go back to class. Not after I just humiliated myself in front of everyone. And I certainly don't want to do that assignment. Couldn't Sikowitz have picked something- anything- else?

_It wasn't like he knew you were pregnant._

Oh, great. _You're_ back.

_I'm you, you moron! Just the more reasonable side of you. You're HAVING a baby, so stop acting like one! Go back in there!_

That's exactly why I can't! I'm supposed to act like a mother, all while knowing that I'm about to be one? It's too weird!

_Is that what you're going to do when you actually pop this kid out? Just run away? _

Who says I'm even keeping it? There are tons of people out there that would give their right arm and leg to have this baby.

_Oh, please. We both know that nobody will be able to pry the kid from your arms after you've carried it for nine months._

I let out a hopeless sigh. Because deep down, I know that's true. I'm not the kind of person who would be able to give my own baby away. No matter how many problems it causes me. But that realization doesn't change the fact that I can't go back to class today. I just...I can't.

_You know you're going to have to face the music eventually. _

I reach into the pocket of my jeans and pull out the incriminating white stick. The plus sign is still there, serving as a cruel reminder that my life is never going to be the same again. I toss the stick into the trashcan. And then for the first time all day...I let myself cry.

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**Sooo...should I keep going? Thoughts are much appreciated!**


	2. You Don't Know What I've Done

**A/N: Thanks to Victoria and Isabella for the reviews! I can't tell you how much they mean to me! As long as I know someone likes my story, I'm more than happy to keep going. :)**

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**Tori POV**

Two weeks have passed since I found out I was pregnant. Two long, terrible weeks. But at least I haven't had a day quite as bad as that first one. There haven't been any more baby assignments, thank God. I'm still having morning sickness, but hopefully that part will be over soon. And well...I still haven't told anyone.

I tried to tell my mom once, but then I chickened out at the last minute. And I'm scared to tell my friends because I have no way of knowing how they'll react. I don't want to lose them. And I know that when all of this comes out- there's a good chance of that happening. And there's nothing I can do about it.

While I sit in the living room thinking (and simultaneously eating ice cream), my sister comes and plops down beside me.

"Ooohh, I want some of that", she says as she attempts to take the cup out of my hand.

"Go get your own!", I snap. I didn't mean to, but I couldn't help the surge of anger that hit me. Seriously, I mean who takes food from a pregnant girl? Well, I know Trina technically doesn't know I'm pregnant, but I'm sure she would do the same thing if she did.

"Well excuse me, Miss Mood Swing."

I stand up (with _my _ice cream) and look down at her. "You wanna say that again?"

She's quite clearly taken aback. But then she stands up. "What is your problem, Tori? And don't say nothing because you have not been acting like you. Spill."

"I don't have to spill anything to you!", I shout back at her. I don't understand why exactly I'm so upset. I just know that I am. And I can't control it.

Trina crosses her arms. "You're hiding something. Something big."

I turn away and look up at the ceiling. I want to tell her. The urge to tell someone about this is driving me insane. I feel completely alone.

"You're right", I admit as I look back at her. "I am hiding something."

A satisfied smile crosses her face. "So tell me what it is. Does my baby sister have a new crush?"

A new crush. That's what Trina thinks is going on with me. I _wish _my life was that simple. That the only thing I had to worry about is telling some guy that I like him. Because crushes come and go. A baby is something that changes your life forever.

"It's not a crush", I say quietly. "In fact, it's not even worth your time." With that, I head to my room. Leaving a very confused sister behind.

* * *

**Cat POV**

Lunch is weird today. Actually, it's been weird for awhile. Everybody used to talk and laugh with each other, but it's so quiet now. Mostly because of Tori. She always looks so sad or worried, and I don't know why. But I don't like it.

I take a bite of my food before glancing around at everyone. They're all just...eating. Me and Andre keep trying to start a conversation, but nobody else seems to want to talk. But they do seem to look in Tori's direction an awful lot.

I've had enough of this. "Can you _please_ tell us what's wrong?", I practically beg her.

She looks surprised at first, but then sighs. "Nothing's wrong, Cat."

"You're not fooling anyone, Tori", Andre agrees. "Something's up with you. Why don't you just tell us what it is?"

"You know we're here for you", Robbie chimes in.

She looks down and then gets up from her seat. "I'm sorry. I can't do this right now." And then she takes off.

We sit in silence for a moment before Jade speaks up. "I'm not chasing after her this time."

And then everyone looks at me. But I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I want to make Tori feel better, but how can I do that when I don't know why she feels bad to begin with? However, I decide to run after her anyway.

"Tori, wait!", I call as I finally chase her down in the hallway. Her head is leaned up against her locker, and she looks like she's about to start crying any second.

"Cat, please go away", she says in a pleading tone.

"No", I reply stubbornly. "We're friends. And friends don't leave friends."

Tori stands up straight and looks me directly in the eyes. "You don't know what I've done. And when you find out, none of you are going to want to be my friend anymore."

"That's not true!", I insist. But I can't help but be worried. What could Tori have done that was so bad?

I can tell by the look on her face that she wants to tell me. She _really _wants to tell me. But when she moves her mouth to speak, nothing comes out. She just slowly moves her hand to her stomach.

"Your stomach hurts?", I finally guess.

"No!" Tori lets out an exasperated sigh. "Jade was right. The reason I've been acting so strange...it's because...because-"

"You're pregnant", I whisper at the realization.

* * *

**Tori POV**

I nod, not really knowing whether I feel more nervous or relieved. Cat is just staring at me. She's shocked, obviously. Everyone will be. This kind of thing wasn't supposed to happen to someone like me.

"Could you say something?", I ask after a few seconds have passed.

She starts to laugh. "Oh, Tori. You really had me going there for a second."

"I'm not joking, Cat."

I think she knew that. She probably just couldn't bring herself to believe it.

"But...how?", Cat finally asks.

I shake my head. "It doesn't matter. It was a mistake. A huge one. I haven't known for very long, and you're the only person I've told."

She doesn't respond right away. I know she's curious about what really happened, but that's not something I can go into. Not that I would want to anyway. I still can't believe that I let it happen to begin with. I can't believe _he_ let it happen.

Cat looks up at me. "What are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna keep it", I say, mustering up as much confidence as I can. "This is my son or daughter, and I'm going to do the best I can to give him or her a good life. That's the only option for me."

She looks down.

This could be it. The moment where I lose everything. Cat will tell everyone, the truth will come out, and I'm going to be left completely alone. Nobody will want anything to do with me. And I couldn't blame them.

"Cat?", I say softly. "Look, I know this must come as a shock. It did to me too."

She runs her hand through her red locks. "I just can't believe it."

"Me either."

"You're gonna have a baby." Her eyes widen. "That's why you were so weird in class that day. Isn't it?"

I nod. "That was the day I found out."

Cat crosses her arms, looking very unsure.

"I need you to promise that you won't tell anyone", I say with an unmistakable tinge of desperation in my voice. "I know everybody will have to know soon, but I'm not ready for that yet."

* * *

**Beck POV**

On the way to my locker, I see Tori and Cat in the hall. There's nobody else around, and I don't even think they see me. I can't quite hear what they're talking about, but it looks pretty serious.

"Hey", I say softly, making my presence known.

They both look at me. Tori looking extremely freaked out. Cat looking torn.

"Please don't", Tori whispers to our other friend.

That's all she needed to say for me to figure out what was going on. Tori had told Cat whatever it is that's been bothering her lately, and she didn't want her to tell me.

Cat's eyes shift from Tori to me and then back to Tori. "You can't keep this a secret", she says quietly.

Okay, I can't take this. I turn to the redhead. "Cat, I actually came to find you because Jade needs to talk to you about that project you guys are paired up for."

Not entirely true, but they do actually have a project coming up so...

"Okay", she says reluctantly. She gives Tori a slight nod before walking away.

"I should get back to my lunch", Tori says, attempting to walk by me. I step in her path, causing her to let out an exasperated sigh. "Beck-"

"Something is going on with you", I say quietly, glancing around to make sure that there isn't anyone else within earshot. "I'm worried about you, Tori. We all are. You haven't been yourself in weeks."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You talked about it with Cat", I point out.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Why can't you guys just drop this? I'm going through some stuff, but I'm handling it."

I don't believe her.

"Look, just tell me what's going on", I implore. "I can help you."

Tori shakes her head. "You can't."

So stubborn. Why do girls have to be like that? Whatever the problem is, it can't possibly be worse than what Jade was joking about a few weeks ago. Tori pregnant...talk about a scary thought. Thank God that was only a joke.

"How come you told Cat, but you won't tell me?", I ask.

She suddenly starts to look angry. "I said I don't want to talk about it, Beck! Especially not with you!"

And with that, she storms off.


	3. Because of a Nightmare

**A/N: Wow, thanks so much everyone! **

**silencyghost- Thank you! Glad you like it so far! It will probably be a while before Tori gets paired up with anyone, but I certainly wouldn't rule out a possibility of Bori happening later on. Actually, I wouldn't rule out any pairing later on. I'm open to pretty much anything.**

**Guest #1- Thanks for the review! You'll find that out in this chapter.**

**It's me- Thanks for the review! Your wish is my command. :)**

**YouCan'tControlMe- Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me! **

**Guest #2- I hear what you're saying. The reason I didn't put a particular couple is because I really don't know who is going to end up with who at this point. I mean I kind of have some ideas, but I didn't want to promise a couple and then change my mind later on. And honestly, I might just let you guys decide a lot of that. But I totally understand if you don't want to read something not knowing what to expect. **

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**Tori POV**

_The pain rippling through my body is unbearable. They said that they gave me drugs, but I can't tell. If I didn't already know that this was normal, I would think I was dying._

_"It hurts so bad!", I complain for the hundredth time. I know it doesn't help anything, but it's complain or cry. Or in my case, some of both._

_"Childbirth tends to go a lot smoother when the person giving birth isn't still a child herself", my mom remarks from her seat next to the window. She's too absorbed in whatever magazine she's reading to care about the pain I'm going through._

_"My poor baby sister", Trina says in a not-so-concerned voice. "I would almost feel sorry for you if you weren't such a slut. But since you are, I don't think you really deserve my sympathy."_

_I close my eyes in agony as their words mingle with the labor pains. A teenage mom. A slut. They're right. That's all anyone will ever see me as. My life is over._

_Cat grabs one of my hands. "It's okay, Tori. Everybody makes mistakes. Yours just happens to be a lot bigger than everyone else's. And a lot more expensive."_

_"I think this goes a little past being a mistake", Andre comments. "Maybe Tori's just not the girl we thought she was."_

_ I let out a piercing scream, and I'm not even sure if it's because of the twisting pain in my body or if it's a way to block out everyone's voices. I just want it all to go away. I honestly believe I would rather die in childbirth than be subjected to any more of this. Why are all these people even in here to begin with? Isn't there supposed to be a limit of like two?_

_Robbie looks at me thoughtfully as I continue to scream my lungs out. "You guys know how many people in third-world countries would kill to have those drugs?"_

_"And to think they're being wasted on her", Jade remarks._

_"You have to push, Tori", the doctor instructs, as if he doesn't even notice all of the people gathered around me. Taunting me. Making me feel like the scum of the earth. _

_But I can't listen anymore. I have to get this baby out of me. No matter what it takes. So I push with everything in me. And after what feels like forever, the doctor tells me it's a girl._

_I close my eyes and weakly hold out my arms for the baby. That's when I realize- I don't hear any crying. _

_"Is something wrong?", I ask, looking at the nurse that's now holding my baby._

_The doctor sighs and gives me a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry, Tori. She didn't make it."_

_My heart stops. "W-What?" That can't be. I gave up everything to keep this baby. She can't just be gone. Before she even got to draw a breath? No! No! I feel myself shaking, and tears are streaming uncontrollably down my cheeks. I couldn't even protect her long enough to get her safely into the world. This is my fault._

_By the time I look up again, everyone is filing out of the room. "Wait!", I call, my voice hoarse._

_Cat, Jade, and Beck stop and look back at me. _

_"Everyone's leaving? Now?", I say, my heart feeling as if it had been stabbed by a knife. One that nobody even bothered to pull out of my chest. So it just keeps bleeding._

_"This is all your fault", Beck says quietly, before turning to leave the room._

_"But I- I didn't mean-"_

_"Save it, Vega", Jade snaps. "God, I wish we had never had the misfortune of meeting you." Then she follows her boyfriend out into the hall, slamming the door on her way out. _

_I look at Cat with tears in my eyes. "Please don't go", I plead in a near-whisper. I need somebody to hold me. I need somebody to listen to me cry and to tell me that everything's going to be okay. That I'm going to get through this. Somehow._

_"I'm sorry", Cat says softly. "But I was only here for the baby."_

_She walks out the door, and I realize for the first time that I've lost everything and everyone that I've ever cared about. I have nothing. I am nothing._

"Tori?"

The image of the dreary hospital room fades as I open my eyes. And suddenly, I'm in our living room. My dad is standing over me. Confused, I rub my eyes. My cheeks are soaked. But instead of a hospital bed, I'm lying on the living room couch.

It was a dream.

"Daddy", I say, my voice shaky as I clutch onto him.

"Honey, what's wrong?", he asks, wrapping his arms around me. "Were you having some kind of nightmare again?"

I slowly pull back. "A-Again?"

He sighs and sits down next to me. "Trina may have mentioned that she's heard you crying in your sleep lately. So I can only assume that it's because of a nightmare. Tori, is everything okay? You know that- if something's going on with you- you can talk to me."

I can't tell him. I just can't. I mean, how can anyone look their parents in the eye and tell them that they've screwed up their entire lives? But I can't go on like this. I have to do something to fix this mess. And I certainly have to make sure that my nightmare doesn't become reality. I have to start going to doctor's appointments and taking medicine that pregnant people are supposed to take. But I can't do that here. Not when I'm working overtime trying to hide this.

"Actually, there is something that's been bothering me", I start slowly. "I've been really stressed out lately. And I'm starting to see that it's because of all the stuff going on here. This is really a stressful place to live when you think about it. I think it would do me some good to step away from it all for a little while."

My dad smiles and gives me a hug. "Sweetheart, why didn't you just say so? You know I'm on board for any chance to take a family vacation."

I mentally slap myself in the head. "Dad, I wasn't talking about a vacation", I say gently. "I was talking about me moving away for a few months. I was thinking I could go stay with grandma."

Okay, I had never considered that before this conversation. In fact, I had never considered going anywhere before this conversation. But the idea just kind of popped into my head. And it's perfect. I can talk grandma into keeping my secret. I can have this baby in Mississippi. Nobody will ever even have to know that I was pregnant.

_Yeah, except for the kid you come home with. _

I'm sure I can make up some kind of story to explain that. I'll have months to come up with one.

_What about Cat? She already knows you're pregnant._

Yeah, that could present a problem. But it's one I'll just have to deal with.

I turn my attention back to my dad. "Please, dad. It'll only be for a few months. And it'll give me a chance to practice my southern accent!", I add with fake enthusiasm.

"But what about school? You want to leave all your friends?"

"Not forever", I remind him. Besides, if I don't, I might not have them for much longer.

He sighs heavily. I recognize that sigh. It's the sigh that says "I don't think this is a good idea, but I'm going to give in anyway." I can't suppress a relieved smile.

"I would have to talk it over with your mother", he says quickly.

"Absolutely", I agree. But I'm not worried about mom. It's always easy to make her see your side of something. Plus, she'll be glad that somebody will be there to watch over grandma. Mom wanted her to move out here with us when grandpa died, but she was stubborn about staying in the place she grew up.

"I do expect a daily phone call from you", my dad adds.

I nod and hug him, thankful that I may not have to face the music after all.

* * *

**Trina POV**

"You're _leaving_?", I shout, not fully believing what Tori just told me.

She nods as she continues to place her things into a cardboard box. "It's not forever though. Just a few months."

I don't understand my sister. I really don't. She has the best life! And she wants to throw it all away to go hang out with grandma in the middle of nowhere for the rest of the year? Don't get me wrong. I love my grandma. Awesome lady. Kicks butt at bingo. But yeah, I'm not buying this.

I cross my arms. "Nope, something else is going on here. The Tori Vega I know does not run away because of a little stress."

She groans and looks up at me. "Trina, why do you care? You should be _ecstatic _that I won't be here to ask you for rides or to hog mom and dad's attention. It'll be like you're an only child again. Like you always wanted!"

I roll my eyes. Yeah, it's a well-known fact that Tori annoys me. And maybe it would be nice to be the only kid for awhile. But it isn't like that will last long. Wait a minute. Maybe _that's_ what this is about. I didn't know Tori knew...

"Is this about the baby?", I ask pointedly.

The picture frame in her hand falls to the floor, and pieces of glass shatter everywhere. Stunned, I jump back. She just stares at it for a moment before kneeling down to pick up the pieces.

Well, there's my answer.

Tori slowly looks up at me. "How do you know?"

"About the baby? Well, I haven't actually confirmed it yet, but I found a pregnancy book in the kitchen", I inform her.

Her eyes go wide.

"I know!", I exclaim. "You would think mom would do a better job at hiding it, right? Unless she wanted us to figure it out on our own, which is kind of weird but-"

"Wait", Tori says, cutting me off. "Mom?"

Uh, duh. Who else in this house would possibly be pregnant?

"Yeah", I answer. "Wait, how did _you_ find out?"

"Oh, I...I..." She stands up. "I don't really want to talk about it."

She looks upset. I really didn't expect Tori to react this way. I get it, of course. I didn't understand why mom and dad would possibly want to have another kid after they had me. I mean, hello? They had already achieved perfection! But I thought Tori would be happy. She always wanted a brother. This kid could be a boy.

I place my hands on her shoulders. "Listen, I was surprised too. And I know this is probably harder on you because you won't be the baby of the family anymore. But that doesn't mean mom and dad are going to stop loving you. You're not being replaced."

"Trina, can you please just stop?", she pleads.

"No. You cannot just run off to grandma's because you're insecure about our new sibling", I tell her firmly. "Did I do that when mom and dad told me about you?"

"You were a baby!", Tori exclaims. Then she shakes her head. "I don't know why I'm even arguing about this with you. Me going to live with grandma has nothing to do with our _hypothetical _new sibling. This whole situation is probably just some big misunderstanding."

Aw, it's so cute how she's in denial.

"There is no hypothetical about it, Tori. Our mother would not be reading pregnancy books if she wasn't pregnant. You're just going to have to accept this. Big sister."

"Fine!", she yells. "I accept it! I don't care if mom's pregnant or not! If she was, I would be happy about it. But I'm just saying she probably isn't. Now, will you please go away so I can finish packing?"

I roll my eyes and leave the room. Tori can be a baby about this if she wants. But when it comes down to it, she won't make it a week in Mississippi before she's begging us to come get her.

* * *

**Cat POV**

"Hello? Earth to Cat."

I look up at the sound of Andre's voice. Him and Robbie are staring at me like they're worried about me or something.

"Oh. What?", I ask.

"You're acting strange", Robbie notes.

Probably because I haven't been able to think about anything except Tori being pregnant. I want to help her somehow. And it's driving me crazy that I can't tell everyone else what's going on.

"This is what we get for hanging around with all these girls", Andre remarks. "First Jade, then Tori, now you."

I look at him, confused. "How is Jade acting strange?"

"Shoot, that girl don't have to act", Rex says. I can't help but giggle. It feels good to laugh.

"_Excuse _me."

I whip my head around to see Jade standing behind me with her arms crossed. "Jade, hi", I say innocently. "How's it um...going?"

She rolls her eyes. "Have any of you seen Beck? I thought he would be with you."

Andre shakes his head. "Not since yesterday."

"Maybe he's with Tori", Robbie suggests. "We haven't seen her around either."

Jade's expression changes to one that kind of scares me. She steps closer to Robbie. "Why would he be with _her_?"

He gulps nervously. "Uh, I don't know."

I slink away from the conversation. I know I have to find Tori. I don't know how I feel about her being pregnant, but I'm still her friend. A part of me is glad that I was the first person she told. The other part of me wishes I didn't know anything. I'm not good at keeping secrets.

I finally spot her at her locker. And Robbie was right. Beck is with her. They're talking, and I'm not sure which one of them looks more frustrated. It confuses me. But what's really confusing is seeing Tori tossing all of her things into a box.

As I get closer, their conversation becomes more clear.

"Come on, Tori. This is crazy. You can't just leave."

"Look, this is something that I need to do for me. And it's not like I won't be back once...once I get my head straight."

"This is about what happened with us, isn't it?", he asks slowly, as if this idea has just hit him. "You haven't been the same since then. I bet that is what's been bothering you this entire time." She looks down, and he goes on. "Look, I know you feel guilty. So do I. But that was months ago. I thought we agreed to let it go."

Wait, let _what _go? And Tori's leaving? Leaving to where?

"You don't think I want to let it go?", she says. I can tell she's starting to cry, and I just want to go hug her. But I kind of want to know what they're talking about too. So I stay hidden behind the wall.

"I do want to let it go, okay? But it's not as easy for me as it is for you."

Beck shakes his head. "I'm the one that cheated on my girlfriend, Tori. It doesn't matter how drunk or upset I was. I did that. And I _hate _myself. You can't even imagine how much. But it's not like we can go back in time and take it back. All we can do now is move on. Or if you've changed your mind, we can tell Jade."

I slap my hand over my mouth, disbelieving of what I just heard. Beck cheated on Jade? With Tori? I feel dizzy, and I prop myself against the wall for support.

"No", Tori says, firmly rejecting the idea. "I'm not going to hurt her any more than I already have. And you're not either. In fact, I don't even know why we're talking about this. I have to go."

Then she walks away. And everything starts to make sense.


	4. Promise Me That You Won't Tell

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites, everyone! I appreciate it!**

**guest- Thank you! Glad you like it!**

**Guest- Thank you and I plan to keep updating, as long as people are interested! **

**LamarLaver- Thanks for the review! Just remember, Bori is only one of several possibilities here. It's an obvious one, sure, but anybody could end up with anybody at this point. Like I've said, a lot of that may just depend on what you guys want. **

**silencyghost- Thanks for the review, and here ya go!**

* * *

**Jade POV**

I have to admit, I felt a little pang of something when I found out Vega was skipping town. Confusion, sure. But something else too. And I can't describe it. It just felt...unfamiliar. And I don't like it.

_Sadness, maybe?_

Don't even go there. She's not even my friend. She's just this girl that I find myself around on a regular basis because everyone else seems to like her. (God only knows why.) I'm so used to tolerating her that it's weird to imagine her _not_ being there to get on my nerves.

But I just hope when she comes back, she'll be back to her normal annoying self. Because I was losing patience with abnormal annoying Vega real quick. She's all we were ever talking about.

_"Oh, I'm so worried about Tori!" _

_"Do you think something's wrong with her?"_

_"Jade, go check on Tori and make sure she's okay."_

Yeah. So anyway, we all came to the airport to see her off or whatever. And the weird thing- this is the happiest Vega has looked in a _while_. Which tells me that she must be very eager to leave California. For Mississippi. I'm not even going to attempt to understand this.

"You really sure you wanna do this?", Andre asks her. "Because if you're not-"

"I am", she assures in that calm voice of hers. Then she punches him playfully in the arm. "Don't get all sad on me, okay? I'll be back."

"Like a freakin' boomerang", I say. I meant for that remark to come out much more snarky than it actually did. Instead, it came out...soft. Vega might even mistake it for me caring.

She gives me a small smile, reinforcing my concern.

"Take care, Jade."

I don't respond. So she turns her attention back to Andre and Robbie.

I look up at Beck, ignoring the strange feelings that are swirling through me. "I'm ready to go", I say.

"Jade, we don't know when we'll see Tori again", he points out. He clearly wants to stay with the rest of them. To wave goodbye as Vega boards the plane. I don't. But he's my ride, so I suppose I don't have much of a choice in the matter, do I?

I wander over to Cat, who is surprisingly distant from the scene. She has a worried look about her that is so...not Cat. She's usually the most annoyingly carefree person there is.

"Do you think she's ever coming back?", Cat asks, her eyes still focused on Vega.

I shrug. "She says she is."

Cat nods, but doesn't say anything else. I'm glad she doesn't. The look on her face is disconcerting enough.

"It's going to be okay", I tell her as I watch Vega hug all the guys. Robbie holds on too long. Andre holds on too tight. Beck does neither, but somehow their hug seems very awkward. I suppose it could be just because I choose to see it that way though.

"I can't do this!", Cat blurts, catching me off guard. I start to ask her what the heck she's talking about, when she goes to approach the rest of them. And then, she pulls Tori away from everyone.

* * *

**Tori POV**

"Cat, what are you doing?", I ask as she finally lets go of my hand.

"I can't keep your secret", she says, her voice filled with guilt. "I'm sorry, Tori. I know you're scared to tell Jade, but she's going to find out eventually."

Oh, please God no. I look in Jade's direction. She's standing by herself. Arms crossed. Watching us with a mix of curiousity and concern. Then I look back at Cat, who gives me a slight nod. But she can't know. That isn't possible!

"What- What does Jade have to do with anything?" My voice comes out shaky. I feel the overwhelming urge to spill my guts, but I can't bring myself to do anything except play dumb.

"I heard you and Beck talking the other day", she says quietly.

No. This cannot be happening right now. Not when I'm mere _minutes _away from getting the heck out of this town.

"You have to tell him, Tori", Cat goes on. "It's his baby too."

I feel my eyes becoming wet. Stupid hormones. The rational side of me knows that Cat's right. It would be wrong of me not to tell Beck. But wouldn't he be better off not knowing? No guy wants to get stuck with a baby in high school. Especially when it means that he'll probably lose his girlfriend in the process. And Jade will never speak to me again. Ever. I know she's always saying we're not friends, but I'd like to think that she does care about me. Even if it's just a little bit.

_Why should she care about you? You had sex with her boyfriend! _

I will never forgive myself for that, okay! I keep going over that night over and over again in my head, wondering how I could've let it happen. What I was thinking at that moment to make me feel like it was okay to lose my virginity to Jade's boyfriend. Obviously, that was the problem. I hadn't been thinking at all.

I glance around to see if anyone is within earshot, and then I look back at Cat. "Please don't tell anyone about this", I plead, not even bothering to deny it. "It was one time, Cat. One. It didn't mean anything."

"But Tori, he's the father-"

"I know that", I say, cutting her off. "And I know I'm going to have to tell him, okay? Him and Jade. But I'm pregnant right now, Cat. I can't take any more stress. I just need you to keep quiet while I'm gone. Please."

"But then they'll hate me for keeping your secret all this time!", Cat points out.

"No, they won't", I say firmly. "Because they won't find out that you knew anything. I promise. Just please promise me that you won't tell."

Cat still looks very conflicted, and I hate that I'm asking her to do this. To keep a secret this big. But I don't want any more drama to deal with than what I've already got on my plate right now.

"Okay", she finally says.

I breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

She nods slowly, and a realization hits me. "Wait, you know about what happened between me and Beck. And you- you don't hate me?"

"No", Cat replies. "I don't like what you did, but you're still my friend."

I hug her tightly.

* * *

**Robbie POV**

After Tori boarded her plane, the rest of us went to get something to eat. But it already seems weird. Like there's obviously something missing. Everyone seems pretty depressed. Even Jade. Of course, Jade always looks depressed so...

"I don't like this", Andre says, tossing his fork onto his plate.

"But that looks really good", Cat notes, her eyes fixed on his food.

He gives her an are-you-kidding-me look. "I wasn't talking about the food, Cat. I was talking about Tori. Man, how could we just let her leave like that?"

"She is coming back", I point out. At least, I really hope so. Then again, what if she likes it better in Mississippi? Maybe she'll meet a new group of friends and forget all about us.

Andre lets out a sigh. "I just wish we knew why she left in the first place. The _real _reason. There was something she wasn't telling us."

I notice Cat picking awkwardly at her food. Then I look to the other end, where Beck is doing basically the same thing. Do they know something that the rest of us don't? But why would Tori tell them and not the rest of us?

"There was definitely something she wasn't telling us", Jade agrees. "Wasn't there, Cat?"

Cat looks up, obviously startled by the accusing tone of Jade's voice. "I- I don't know anything", she says.

"You're lying", Jade counters smoothly. "Why else would you and Tori be having this super private conversation right before she leaves? You know what it is."

"Tell us, Cat", Andre implores. "We're her friends too."

Cat slowly scans our faces, like she's trying to decide what she should do. Then she shakes her head. "I'm sorry. I promised Tori I wouldn't say anything."

"What difference does it make _now_?", Jade says, throwing up her hands. "She's already on her flight!"

If I didn't know better, I would really think Jade's upset that Tori left. Why else would she be so interested in seeing what Cat knows? And Cat...it must be pretty important if she's really going to keep it a secret. Cat doesn't keep secrets.

"We won't tell Tori you told us", Andre adds.

I decide to speak up. "Maybe we should just let Tori handle this. And if she isn't back in a few months, we can always go visit her."

Beck nods. "Robbie's right. Besides, this is Tori's business."

Cat looks in his direction. "You won't feel that way when she comes back", she says quietly. Then she gets up and rushes out the door. Everyone exchanges a few confused glances before I go after her.

She's sitting on the concrete steps when I get outside. I've never seen her like this before. You can just see how conflicted she is, and I can't even make her feel better because she won't tell anyone what's going on. I just know that it's really affecting her. Just like it affected Tori.

"Hey", I say slowly, sitting down beside her.

"I don't wanna talk about it", Cat whispers.

"I'm worried about you."

She shakes her head. "It's not me you should be worried about."

But she doesn't say another word.


End file.
